The Czech Health Ministry has requested a complete list of Czech nationals
working in countries with Ebola outbreaks as well as Czech students
studying in high-risk areas in order to take effective measures against the
possible spread of the disease in the Czech Republic. Prague’s Bulovka
hospital has the facilities to treat highly infectious diseases and its
staff is on standby for a possible emergency, but the Health Ministry says
the Czech Republic would not have the facilities required to transfer Ebola
patients home from African states should that prove necessary.

The Health Ministry is planning to have proton therapy for cancer covered
by health insurance. According to a proposed amendment to the law, all
public health insurance companies would be bound to cover proton therapy if
is recommended by one of the country’s 13 oncology centers. At present
this form of therapy is used only marginally, despite the fact that Prague
has a modern Proton Therapy Centre which takes in patients from around the
world. Currently only Prague’s military hospital has an agreement on care
with the center and the biggest Czech health insurer Všeobecná
Pojištovna is locked in a drawn-out-dispute with it over a controversial
contract signed in the past.

Czechs buying more fairtrade products

Czechs are buying an increasing amount of Fairtrade products, Fairtrade
Czech Republic director Hana Chorvátová said at a press conference in
Prague on Tuesday. While in 2005 Czechs only bought 3 million crowns worth
of fairtrade goods, last year the amount rose to 174 million crowns. By far
the most popular fairtrade commodity on the market is coffee.

Czech exporters to potentially lose hundreds of millions

Czech exporters expect to lose tens or even hundreds of millions of crowns
in contracts over the next twelve months due to the current sanctions
between the EU and Russia, according to a poll conducted by the Czech
Chamber of Commerce. The poll, which was carried out among 140 Czech firms,
reflects that the sanctions do not apply to contracts signed in 2013,
explains the chamber’s president Vladimír Dlouhý, adding that exporters
will only know the amount of their possible losses before 2015.

President Zeman highlights need for economic diplomacy

President Miloš Zeman on Tuesday received Czech ambassadors from around
the world at Prague Castle. The president highlighted the growing
significance of economic diplomacy, particularly in view of the Ukrainian
crisis, and said he considered it a success that Czech representatives in
Brussels had helped moderate the scope of the EU’s anti-Russian sanctions
in favour of Czech exporters. The president also stressed the need to
diversify the country’s export strategy and seek new markets further
afield. In connection with developments in Iraq, the Czech head of state
said international terrorism must be fought on all fronts.

Czech Association of Bailiffs warns against fraudulent emails

The Czech Association of Bailiffs has warned against a spate of fraudulent
emails sent in in its name in which people are asked to pay non-existent
debts. Hundreds of people have reportedly called in to inquire about the
mails. The association’s spokesperson has warned the public not to
respond to these requests, send money to the stated accounts and ideally
not to open any attachments. She moreover pointed out that bailiffs do not
as a rule correspond with debtors by email.

Hasenkopf to file new lawsuit against Mynář

A fresh row has broken out between President Zeman’s Chancellor Vratislav
Mynář and a former lawyer at the Office of the President Pavel Hasenkopf.
Hasenkopf, who on Monday accepted a court settlement in a drawn-out-dispute
with the Office of the President over the authorship of ex-president Vaclav
Klaus’ controversial 2013 amnesty, is said to be incensed by Mr.
Mynář’s claim that he had agreed to a settlement because he feared he
would lose the case. According to his lawyer Mr. Hasenkopf now intends to
sue Chancellor Mynář for slander.

Arnika warns of toxic substances in some school supplies

A random laboratory test of children’s schools supplies for hazardous
substances commissioned by the NGO Arnika revealed excessive amounts of
toxic substances in three out of eleven tested products. Parents are warned
in particular against two fake designer label pen holders
Transformers-Optimus Prime and 21st Century which were found to contain
several kinds of dangerous phthalates, exceeding permitted norms by up to
150 times. The NGO presented its findings at a press briefing in Prague on
Tuesday urging parents to pay attention to the source and quality of the
school accessories they acquire for their offspring.

Woman suffers acid attack in Prague

An unknown attacker threw acid into the face of a 50-year-old woman in
Prague’s Michle district early on Tuesday, the ctk news agency reported.
The incident happened in a lift and the attacker managed to escape
unnoticed. The woman was rushed to hospital with severe facial burns. A
similar incident took place in the city of Plzen last November, where a man
attacked his ex-girlfriend in a similar manner. He was charged after nine
months and now awaits trial in custody.

Šafářová advances in US Open

Czech tennis player Lucie Šafářová is through to the second round of US
Open, after beating Hungary’s Timea Babos 6:4, 7:5 in their first-round
encounter on Monday. Šafářová is the only Czech to advance so far. Both
Radek Štěpánek and Tereza Plíšková were knocked out.